DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harvest Moon and/or any of it's characters or themes.
A/N: OK, well, this is my first time writing a story of this... sort, so... it's gonna be a bit of a challenge I think. I mostly like to stick with one-shots. XD Anyways, if the chapters take a while to go up, I am very sorry! I have a tendency to get easily distracted which is usually why I like to stick with one-shots! He he. So, enjoy!
Oh, and I realize that Jack doesn't live in the Forget-Me-Not Valley, but in this story he does! XD
"Claire! Claire, get up! We're going to be late!" My eyes snapped open as my mother poked her head in through my doorway as she passed my room on her way downstairs.
"Get up!" she repeated before continuing on her way downstairs. I groaned and looked over at the clock on my bedside table. Five AM.
I shut my eyes and breathed in deeply as a feeling of dread washed through me, twisting my stomach into a tangle of knots and nerves. I lied in bed for a moment longer, trying to calm myself as I listened to the sound of dishes clinking together downstairs and the smell of bacon wafted in through my open door.
I rolled out of bed with a sigh as the thought of food started my already unsettled stomach rolling, and stumbled to the bathroom to brush my teeth and take a shower.
I took longer than necessary washing my hair as I stood underneath the hot stream of water and tried not to think about what awaited me today.
I eventually had to get out though as the water began to cool, so I wrapped myself in a towel and headed back across the hall to my room.
I paused in the doorway as my eyes landed on the two large suitcases by the foot of my bed. The suitcases that now held all of my clothes. I looked away, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge them for the moment as I made my way over to my bed and dressed myself in the jeans and the plain black t-shirt I had draped over the back of my desk chair the night before. I pulled a brush through my still damp hair and made to leave my room.
I stopped though as I caught sight of myself in the full length mirror by my door. I could hardly believe that the girl looking back at me was actually me.
Mostly I looked like I always had; an average 5"4 in height for my age of eighteen years, slender, but not in a stick-like sort of way, although I had probably lost close to fifteen pounds in the last couple of months. Deep reddish-brown shoulder length hair, framing a face that had always been pale, but was now almost white in appearance, and much too thin. What really bothered me though, was not the thinness of my face, or the drastic weight loss, but my eyes.
My eyes that had always been my best feature with their vivid shade of amethyst and the fiery spark they had always shimmered with, were now a flat dull sort of purple and void of any kind of life.
I turned away from the troubling sight and left my room, grabbing my black zip-up hoodie from where it hung on my door knob on my way out, to hide my arms.
It wasn't long before my parents and I were out the door and seated in the family car, my suitcases tucked safely in the trunk. As my father maneuvered our red Volkswagen through the city streets, busy even at six in the morning, my mother kept shooting me fervent glances in the review mirror frequently from her place in the passenger's seat to ensure that I was at least attempting to eat the slice of dry toast she had convinced me to take with me after I had refused the bacon and eggs she had set in front of me as I had taken my seat at the kitchen table. I took a small bite to pacify her and sighed as her eyes finally left me alone.
I turned my head to look out the window as New York City flashed past me outside. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the window and let my thoughts begin to wander.
Before I knew it, my thoughts had taken me back to the small waiting room of Dr Troy's office, where I had sat in one of the ridiculously uncomfortable plastic chairs, listening to the muffled murmur of my parents' voices as they spoke to the psycho-analyst in the next room, while the receptionist with her bright red lipstick and overdone makeup kept shooting curious glances my way.
"Thank you so much for you time, Dr Troy," my mother was saying, as I shot the receptionist a withering glare that caused her to turn her attention back to her computer screen hurriedly.
"Not at all, Mrs Riley." answered the analyst, her voice calm and all business.
"So... What's wrong with her?" I heard my father ask, his voice laced with irritation. I crossed my arms and slid down in my chair glaring at the floor as I thought of how useless my being here was.
"Well, from what I gathered from you over the phone, and after talking with Claire this afternoon-"
"You mean she actually talked to you?" My father cut in, his voice sarcastically amazed. "I would suggest a case of depression, that could be anywhere from mild to severe. Although I would say severe." Dr Troy continued as if she hadn't heard my father, and I could just picture the look of annoyance that would be on my mother's face at my dad's behavior.
"Depression..." My mother murmured, her soft voice thoughtful. "Well, I suppose that's not surprising," she sighed finally. "It hasn't been an easy few months after all. What with what happened in June... And right after graduation too..." My mother trailed off as I became very interested in a spider making it's way up the side of the receptionist's desk, trying to block out what was going on in the other room.
"Yes, I do remember you mentioning that over the phone." agreed Dr Troy. I sighed as the receptionist noticed my spider and smacked it with a rolled up copy of the NewYork Times as it inched it's way across the top of her desk.
"We thought maybe with time things would get better, but it seems if anything they've only gotten worse..." My mom fell silent then and I could hear my father grunt non-comittally. Apparently he found being here just as useless as I did.
"I do have a couple of suggestions that I think could be helpful," offered Dr Troy, her voice suddenly softer and a little less business-like.
"That would be wonderful!" I could hear a note of relief in my mom's voice as I just continued to stare at the floor.
"Well, the first and more drastic of the two, would be a treatment facility. From what you told me, she hasn't been eating or sleeping like she should be, and from what I myself have seen today, she's unresponsive, withdrawn, and its obvious to see just from looking at her that her health is deteriorating." My eyes widened and my mother let out a sharp gasp. A treatment facility? What the fuck??!! There was no way I was letting them lock me up in some fucking mental institution!!
"A treatment facility?" My mother asked, as if she hadn't heard the doctor properly.
"As if we can afford that!" My father snapped, his voice rising in anger. "We're barely getting by as it is!"
"We couldn't possibly..."
"Too much money!"
"A treatment facility...!"
"The second," Dr Troy calmly interrupted my parents in their panic attack. "Would be for her to get away for a while. A vacation of sorts, if you will." My parents were silent for a minute as they let Dr Troy's words sink in.
"A vacation?" said my mother, her voice slightly more calm now.
"Yes," answered Dr Troy. "If you have any relatives or friends that live out of the city, send her to stay with them for a while. I think it would be good for her, both mentally and spiritually to be away from here where there are so many memories and reminders of what happened in June."
"That would make sense..." My mom's voice was thoughtful as she pondered the suggestion. "And I do actually have a nephew who owns a farm on a small island off the cost... Oh, what's his name, now?" Silence. "Oh, yes! Jack!"
"Jack? Who the hell is Jack?!" My dad asked my mother in confusion. "I've never heard you mention any nephew Jack before!"
"He's Joy's son... She doesn't like to talk about him much..." My mother sounded displeased.
"Why not?" My father pried.
"Oh, I don't know. I guess he was supposed to go to law school or something, follow in his father's footsteps, but instead he ran off to take over his grandfather's farm in Forget-Me-Not Valley after he died or something..." My mother trailed off. "But, I'm sure he wouldn't mind taking Claire in for a while!" I could tell my mother was smiling now. I simply stared dumbfounded at the wall opposite me.
"I'll write him a letter a letter tonight, explaining the situation!"
"That would be perfect." said Dr Troy.
I was suddenly pulled back to reality as our Volkswagen jerked to a stop and my dad put it in park. It seemed I had zoned out and we were already at the dock. My mother turned in her seat to look back at me.
"Ready, Sweetie?" she asked as she smiled at me, although she sounded nervous. I simply grimaced at her in response. I didn't want to be doing this, and she knew it. She sighed softly as she turned back around to unbuckle her seat belt and climb out of the car. I waited a couple of moments before I too undid my buckle and climbed out. I inhaled deeply, filling my lungs with crisp autumn air, made salty by the sea as I looked around the dock.
I spotted the ship I would be taking, bobbing up and down with the gentle movements of the sea as the ship-hands ran up and down the loading ramp carrying large crates on and off the ship.
"The ship sails out to the island every two weeks to pick up shipments from the farms and ranches." My mother said as she noticed me watching the workers and came to stand beside me. I looked at her before I made to follow my father who was already dragging my suitcases toward the ship. It was obvious he couldn't wait to be rid of me.
I still couldn't believe my parents were doing this to me. True, it probably was better than any treatment facility, but that still didn't make the idea of living in some hick town any easier. Maybe the loony house would have been the better idea... Too late now though. Not that I would have been given the choice anyway, as horrified as my parents had been by the prospect of any sort of facility.
By now I had reached my father's side and he was handing my suitcases over to one of the ship-hands. He looked at me, his hard face unreadable.
"I guess I'll be seeing ya, kid." he said gruffly, ruffling my hair before turning to head back to the car.
"Well, the ship should be taking off at any minute..." I jumped slightly. I hadn't noticed my mother come up behind me. I nodded.
"Claire..." There was something in my mother's voice that made me turn my head to look at her. Her eyes were glassy. I groaned inwardly.
"Clair," she began again. "We wouldn't be doing this if we didn't think it was what's best..."
"Yeah, mom. Okay." I said, my voice flat. Emotionless.
"Honey..."
"Yes, mom. I know." As if we hadn't talked about this enough in the days leading up to today.
"Well, okay then." she said sadly. She stared at me for a second. She looked away as the ship's foghorn sounded, announcing it's departure.
"I should go." I said dully.
"Of course." she nodded before pulling me into a hug which I didn't return. "Don't forget to write." She reminded me.
"Yeah, whatever." I pulled away and made my way up the ramp onto the ship.
"Welcome aboard!" The captain greeted me with a smile as I stepped onto the deck.
As the ship pulled away from the dock, I took a deep breath of salty air and I didn't look back.
A/N: Yay! First chapter. XD I'd love to know what you all thought, and constructive criticism is always welcome! Please, your reviews would be a huge help in keeping me motivated! ^-^
xoxo